A Challenge
by Kutoja
Summary: StargateThundercats crossover. SG1 end up thrown far into the future. Edits are done, the second chapter is the latest update.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own neither.

Author's note: As the title states, this is a challenge. I'm going to post this feeble attempt, and your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a better one.

A Challenge by Kutoja

SG-1 had had to get off PX-15792 in a hurry. They had dialed home without paying attention to anything except the Jaffa pursuing them. Just as the wormhole engaged, the planet's sun had flared, somehow disrupting the wormhole. Not having noticed anything wrong, they had entered the codes and run through the gate.

Now, they were on Earth, at the SGC. But instead of General Hammond and armed soldiers there to meet them, there was no-one. Not a soul in the entire vast complex. Finally, Jack O'Neill spoke up. "Carter, see if the computers can tell you what happened."

"Yes, sir." Sam walked up the stairs into the control room. When she tried to start up a computer, nothing happened. "No power," she realised. She walked back down and announced, "Sir, there's no power. And by the looks of it, Cheyenne Mountain's been deserted for a long time."

"How long?" Daniel Jackson asked.

"I don't know. Years, if not decades."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud! Let's just go topside. See what happened," Jack exclaimed.

Once they reached the surface, SG-1 stared around at the world that had once been their home. Gone was Colorado Springs - in its place stood a barren wasteland, and the mountain was simply a grassy ridge. Further away the wasteland turned into a grass-covered plain.

"So... now what?" Daniel asked.

"Someone may have survived. They might be able to explain," Teal'c suggested.

"Alright, campers, let's move out!" Jack ordered.

As night fell, SG-1 made camp in the lee of a small cliff, a few kilometres from what had once been Cheyenne Mountain. Jack had just started a campfire, and Sam was fetching water from a nearby stream - only to come back within minutes, shouting, "Sir! There's another camp over there," while pointing off to the east, where, a few kilometres away, a column of smoke rose.

"Alright, Carter, we'll head that way in the morning," Jack promised. "I'll take first watch."

"I will take second," Teal'c said.

They proceeded to eat some of their MREs, and while Jack sat by the fire, Sam and Daniel unrolled their sleeping bags and Teal'c proceeded to engage in Chel'no're.

Jack traded the uneventful watch with Teal'c just as the darkness turned to twilight, unrolling his sleeping bag and crawling into it. He was asleep in moments.

By the time the sun had risen a handspan above the horison, all of SG- 1 were awake and eating MREs, after which they set off walking toward the other camp.

The terrain stayed much the same for most of the journey, until they entered a forest. The trees were enormous, dwarfing even the largest of old Earth trees. They seemed to almost touch the heavens.

After a while they heard approaching footsteps and saw four women walking toward them. The women stopped a few metres away, and one showed surprised recognition. She spoke up in a deep, otherworldly but familiar voice. "Samantha?"

There was a moment's silence, then Sam asked, "...Selmak?"

Here are the terms for the challenge:

- banter between Jack and Daniel,

- Sam's typical technobabble

- Everyone on Third Earth has forgotten the Goa'uld.

- and, preferably, (but not necessarily) a scene where the phrases "Hear, hear," "where, where, " "there, there" and "now, now" are used.

- Sam/Jack, as well as a possible Daniel/Janet pairing.

- Preferably no character deaths.

I'm not entirely sure if that's spelt correctly. If it's incorrect, would you mind telling me?


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Do I have to repeat myself? I must mention, though, that I don't even claim to own the reference to Star Wars, or Louhi. She's a character in the Finnish national epic, Kalevala. If you want to know more about it, e-mail me for the URL of an info site. Unfortunately, the only online copies I've been able to locate are in Finnish, but I'm sure I can find an English summary.

Author's note: I'm sorry this was so long in coming. In addition to personal problems (and me forgetting that I had this stashed in the Document Manager - headdesk!) - I was busy trying to do a bit of research by downloading episodes, but LimeWire was being slow, so I stopped using it - they're cracking down on filesharing in Finland. I've now watched a grand total of five episodes of Thundercats, but even _I_ know that isn't enough...

In my ignorance, I may have altered the characteristics and personalities of people and races. Please correct me if I make mistakes. I'll correct any that I find later, after I've watched more in the way of episodes (if I can find them on YouTube or somewhere), but until then, I need all the help I can get! All I have to work with is a map from LimeWire, I can't be sure it isn't fan-made, and whatever episode guides I find online.

Much thanks to everyone on the Yahoo Thundercats group for their information!

Chapter Three

"...Selmak?" At the woman's affirmative nod, Sam continued, "It's nice to hear a familiar voice. But how can you be here? And what happened to Earth?"

**"My presence is too long a story to recount now, as is the explanation for Earth's current state. I suggest we talk in a slightly less dangerous place."**

"Dangerous?" Daniel asked.

**"There are multiple enemies on Earth now, most of whom came from other planets. They do not have access to Goa'uld weapons - but if we linger here, they will. Come, follow me."**

Selmak led them through the forest at a brisk pace, not even slowing as she stepped over the massive roots which practically covered the forest floor. It was obvious that she was well used to the forest and adept at avoiding its dangers. The trees darkened the ground so that SG-1 had to keep their eyes on their path or risk tripping at every step.

Finally, Selmak halted - but only for a moment, and then headed straight for one of the trees. Jack opened his mouth to say something - and Selmak started seemingly climbing up the tree trunk. Daniel took a good look and gasped – there were stairs carved into the tree, so well hidden that they were all but invisible. The other women nudged SG-1 forward and up the stairs.

They climbed for what seemed like forever, although it was probably just a few hundred yards. Finally, the stairs ended and SG-1 stepped onto a platform adjacent to a walkway encircling the tree. Another walkway led toward the next tree, which had a rather large house and another walkway built around it. There were other trees with similar structures all around. The village reminded Jack of the Ewok village in Star Wars.

Selmak indicated that they should follow her, and started walking down one of the walkways toward one of the larger houses. Jack started after her, with the rest of SG-1 trailing behind.

Once in front of the house, Selmak stopped and turned to SG-1. "**Wait here,"** she said and walked in. Jack sighed and sat on the edge of the walkway, gesturing for the rest to do the same.

--

Selmak paused just inside the doorway of Willa's house, clearing her throat. Willa looked up from the map she had been looking at, and said, "Yes, Jessa-Selmak?"

"**SG-1 is here."**

"What?! How?" Willa exclaimed.

"**I did not ask."**

"Where are they?"

"**Just outside. Shall I call them in?" Selmak asked.**

"Please." Selmak stuck her head out the door and said,

"**Come in, SG-1."**

--

After about a minute, Selmak stuck her head outside. "**Come in, SG-1." **They got to their feet and followed her into the house, where a single woman sat at a table. She stared at them as they entered, obviously having trouble believing something. After a moment, she spoke.

"Selmak has told me about you, but how did you get here?"

"…And you are?" Jack asked.

"Oh, forgive me. My name is Queen Willa."

"Hi, I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, and this is Teal'c."

--

Meanwhile, a Goa'uld by the name of Louhi awoke from a several thousand year nap, and realised that since her Jaffa were all long dead, she would have find new ones, and soon. Her children, who had been preserved in special containers, would need hosts, and so she would have to venture outside.

She found her way out of the network of caves in which she had spent millennia, and gazed upon the outside world. What had once been heavily forested land with few fields was now mostly grassland, with large stone formations here and there. Obviously much had changed, therefore she would have to search far in order to find suitable hosts and Jaffa.

She heard a strange sound coming from the southeast, and as she turned her attention to it, Louhi saw a craft of some kind heading in her direction. She used her hand-device to disable the craft, bringing it down a hundred yards away.

The craft's occupants were struggling to get out when she approached, and were about to turn on her when she used her hand-device once again, knocking them out.

She proceeded to drag them, one by one, into her cave and the room which housed her children. They were not human, which displeased Louhi, but they were all that were available. They had the appearances of various Tau'ri animals, and yet they were bipedal and sentient. No matter. They would do until she could find better hosts.

Louhi moved to the containers, opening them one by one and placing each near a host, and watched as her children leapt into their new hosts through the backs of the hosts' necks.

--

After explanations from SG-1 of how they found themselves so far in the future, Sam turned to Selmak. "It's your turn, Selmak. How did _you_ get here?"

"**It is a long story, I suggest you sit down."** Once everyone was seated in a circle on the floor, she continued. "**Jacob and I were in the situation as you were in coming here. We were fleeing the Jaffa of a Goa'uld by the name of Louhi and tried to enter the ****stargate.**** Something went wrong and we were brought into the future, a hundred and six years ago, in what remained of Cheyenne Mountain. Like you, we came south and entered the forest. Within moments we were spotted by the natives, and ambushed.**

"**The natives brought us up here and took us to see the queen of the time. Once we had explained who we were and where we came from, the queen let us stay on the outskirts of the kingdom. **

"**Six years ago, we went on a mapping expedition, and came back to hear that a new group of extra-terrestrials had come to Earth, and settled down across the river west-north-west of here.**

"**Jacob wanted to be a good neighbour, so we went north until the bridge, crossed it, and headed south and into a forest. **

"**We must have crossed some kind of boundary, because within moments we were attacked by what we later learned were ****manticores.**** We were overpowered. The last thing I remember until a few hours later is humanoid felines driving the creatures away." **As she spoke, Selmak's thoughts drifted to that day, years before…

_Jacob was the first to wake, opening his eyes to what seemed to be a hospital room. But the equipment stored at the sides of the room was obviously not Tok'ra or Tau'ri, so where was he?_

_Jacob's attention was drawn to the door as it opened, admitting a humanoid tiger into the room. The tiger looked at Jacob and smiled. "Ah, good, you're awake. You took a nasty knock, how are you feeling?"_

_Jacob touched the back of his head, felt a bruise, winced, and answered, "I'm fine. …Where am I?"_

"_You're in Cats' Lair," came the answer. "My name is __Tygra.__"_

"_Jacob Carter."_

"_What were you doing in that forest?" Tygra asked._

"_Thought I'd be a good neighbour and introduce myself." At a jab from Selmak, he added, "And my __symbiot.__"_

"_Symbiot__?" Tygra asked._

"_I'm a Tok'ra. That means that I've got a snakelike creature inside me, curled 'round the __brainstem__, that can take control when she likes, and do everything I can. Her name's Selmak. Could I see __whoever's__ in charge?"_

My idea is that, (using the map I got from LimeWire,) Jacob-Selmak forded the river just north of that and (passing the Swamp of Serpents from the west) followed the River of Despair to the Bridge of Light, crossed it and wandered into the Forest of Gorgons and Manticores.


End file.
